Glove-stretcher



(No Model.)

M. WUSTUM. GLOVE STRETGHER.

No. 576,181. Patented Fb. 2, 1897.

NrrnD STATES MINNIE G. WVUSTUM, OF RACINE, IVISCONSIN.

GLOVE-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 5? 6,181, dated February 2, 1897.

Application filed 111118 5, 1396- To all whom, it may concern.- Be it known that I, MINNIE G. W'Us'rUM,

Racine, in the county of Racine and State of WVisconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Glove Stretchers and Holders, of which the following is a description, reference being had. to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

It is well known that in wearing kid gloves in a moist atmosphere or over a perspiring hand they will, when removed from the hand, shrivel and shrink up, and on drying will be badly wrinkled and somewhat contracted, to the injury of the glove and loss. of beauty thereof. To obviate these difficulties, my improved stretcher and holder has been produced.

The object of the invention is to provide an elastic skeleton frame corresponding in general outline with the form of the hand and wrist of a person, on which a damp and shriveled glove may be drawn, and which, by its form and elastic expansiveness, is adapted to properly fill out and stretch the thumb, fingers, and hand of the glove and hold the glove in proper shape until dry or until again needed for wear.

The invention consists of the frame and its several parts and combination of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed, or their equivalents.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a complete view of my improved skeleton-frame glovestretcher in a normal size. Fig. 2 is a side or edge View of the same stretcher. Fig. 3 is a fragment of the stretcher, showing a detail of the construction.

My improved glove-stretcher is chiefly constructed of elastic metal wire, preferably inherently non-corrosive and non-staining, or may be coated or protected by a covering of non-staining material, whereby it is made unobjectionable to contact with the leather of the glow: or moisture thereon. The wire A, of which the fingers, hand, and wrist of the complete frame is formed, is a single piece, so bent as to form the fingers B in conformity with the general shape of the fingers of a glove,and the wire thence extends rearwardly, conforming with lines at the two sides or edges of the glove and the wrist thereof to its rear Serial No. 596,884. (No model.)

veloping band or ferrule D, which is gripped about and preferably brazed or soldered to the ends 0 0 near their extremities. This band or ferrule D, besides enveloping the ends 0 O, has an adjacentparallel socket in which are received the free transversely-turned ends of the auxiliary or thumb frame E. This thumb-frame E, made, like the rest of the frame, of elastic wire, extends from its hinged rear extremity forwardly substantially parallel with the front edge of the principal frame to such distance as is necessary to adapt it to enter and fill out the thumb of the glove when the fingers and hand of the glove are drawn over the principal frame. This auxiliary or thumb frame, being hinged at its rear extremity, is also adapted to be folded down close to the principal frame for inserting the frame in and passing it through the hand portion of the glove, and when the glove is completely on the frame the thumb or auxiliary portion of the frame, with the thumb of the glove thereon, may be lifted or swung at its outer extremity away from the principal frame so much as is necessary to completely and perfectly stretch out and shape the glove in all its parts.

When used, a roll of paper or cloth or any convenient material or thing may be used as a blocking to be inserted between the free portion of the thumb and the hand of the glove to hold the thumb away therefrom in suitable position for completely stretching and holding the glove.

These frames are to be made in different sizes to adapt them for use with gloves of varying size, it being understood that the frame, especially so far as the fingers and thumb of it are concerned, should be, when in normal condition, slightly wider than the normal width of the fingers, hand, and thumb of the glove, so that when being inserted therein the parts are to be slightly contracted by pressure, that when the glove is drawn thereon the parts, by the elasticity of the wire, will expand sufficiently to perfectly straighten out and hold the glove in position free from wrinkles while drying and remaining thereon.

ICO

What I claim as my invention is- 1. A glove stretcher and holder constructed of elastic wire and comprising a principal skeleton frame of a single piece of wire conforming in general outline to the shape of the fingers, hand and wrist of a glove, and an auxiliary or thumb frame of a single piece of elastic wire hinged at its rear extremity to the principal frame in such manner as to be capable of swinging from and toward the principal frame, and projecting forwardly therefrom to a distance substantially equal to the length and position of the thumb of a glove with reference to the fingers and hand thereof.

2. A glove stretcher and holder, comprising a principal skeleton frame for the fingers, hand and wrist made of a single piece of elastic wire the extremities of which at the rear end are bent transversely toward each other and meet opposite the base of the thumb, an auxiliary or thumb frame also of a single piece of elastic wire, the rear ends of which are bent transversely toward each other, and a ferrule enveloping and secured to the ends of the principal frame and forming a socket in which the transversely-disposed extremities of the thumb-frame are hinged.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MINNIE G. VVI STUM.

Witnesses:

ERASTUS C. PEcK, JNo. XV. KNIGHT. 

